The Book of Revelation Devotions Day 37

DAY 37

As we read through Revelation and get fascinated/disturbed by the details. We have to be careful not to give glory to the details instead of the Lamb. Some get so caught up in the details that they lose sight of the big picture and the bigger picture. Part of the issue is that we want to nail down the timing and details that we don’t understand. Reaching for some understanding isn’t wrong but it can’t be what we obsess over and we have to remember the “why.” What is the whole point of Revelation? What is the overarching message of Revelation and of the Bible, and what is that message built upon?

There are so many details that oversimplification might actually be helpful.

Let’s give it a try:

God decided that He was going to create the world but He knew that the world would fall short of the glory that it would take to reside with Him in Heaven so He decided before He created the world, that Jesus would come to Earth and become flesh to die for us so that we could be cleansed from our sin.

Jesus did that.

Isaiah 53:7-9 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Jesus died and rose again and after some time ascended to Heaven and became our intercessor. He is the perfect slain lamb that has started opening the seals to trigger the remainder of God’s plan. This plan calls for wrath/judgement and mercy/grace. The Church suffers persecution by the enemy. God pours out His wrath in waves to allow opportunity for repentance. At some point God rescues His believers from the earth before the full strength of His wrath and judgement is poured out on the rest.

Good so far?

What is the one detail that everything hinges on? The Lamb.

Let us not get so caught up in the details of the waves of judgement that we glorify those details and neglect giving proper glory to the death and resurrection of Jesus, our slain Lamb.

We have to remember where Revelation falls in the story. We have to remember that it is called Revelation because it is revealing Jesus and what is to come. We can’t get so caught up in the “what is to come” that we forget to notice what it is revealing to us about Jesus, our slain Lamb.

Jesus, thank you for choosing to be obedient even to death so that I can spend eternity in Heaven with you. Help me to keep it in perspective as we study Revelation. Help me to give the glory to you instead of to the details. Help me to obsess over you instead of over the rest of the Revelation. Thank you, thank you, thank you. To you be the glory forever!